Gas-producer.



J. R. GEORGE.

GAS PRODUCER.

APPLICATloN HLED FEB. 1915.

Patented Dec. 25, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

l I l J. R. GEORGE.

VGAS PRUDUCEH. APPLxcATmN man fra. e. 191i` 1,251,011. Y `Patented1 ee-25,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I vezrzloz cmme George,

J. H. EEUHGE.

GAS PRODUCER.

APPLICATION FILED Fffs. |915.

1,251,01 1. mma nw. .um

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

d' (06216 ya UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE..

JEROME B. GEORGE, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOB T0 MORGAN CONSTRU'C'LION` COMPANY, 0F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORA- TroN or MASSACHUSETTS.

l eas-.PRODUCER Specification c! Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 25, 191 '1.

Application led February 8, 1915. Serial No. 8,487.

. ducers, and has particular reference to that class of producers which embody a rotatable support for the ashes, spaced beneath the body portion of the producer, the bottom of said ash support having a radial scraper or plow resting thereon. 'When desired, said plow may be held stationary with respect to the rotating support, thereby causing the ashes to be crowded outwardly and delivered over the edge of said support.

Various mechanisms have been employed to inaugurate the' plowing or crowding action of said scraper, by the interpos1tion of a fixed stop in the path 0f the same; and for interrupting said crowding action after a predetermined period of activity, by withdrawing said stop, thereby permitting the rotation of the scraper in unison with the 'ash support. A mechanism of this character is ful1y set forth and described in the Letters Patent to Jefferies, No. 1,198,037, granted September 12, 1916, the same providing a weighted arm or pawl, adapted to be moved from its normal position by an.

attendant, when it is desired to bring about a discharge of ashes from the support. The rocking of said pawl brings about the action of certain mechanism which insures the subsequent retention of the plow in' a fixed po sition for a predetermined period; thereafter the parts are automatically returned to their normal positions, and the discharge of ashes is discontinued until the attendant again rocks the pawl whereupon the above described operations are repeated.

The present invention is concerned with the provision of means whereby the desired discharge of ashes from a gas producer is removed from the necessity for any action on the part of anattcndant, resulting from the exercise of his judgment as to the proper times for such intermittent discharges to take place, during the continuous operation of the producer. Instead it is proposed to utilizel the presence of varying thicknesses of fuel in the chamber of the producer, as

the agency for determining the periods of operation of the ash' discharging mechanism; it bein clear that since the proper operation of t e producer is best served by maintaining, as near as possible, a substantially constant level for the surface of the fuel bed, the discharge of ashes, if made responsive to the attainment of anexeessively hi h level of fuel in the producer, caused eit er by an excessive accumulation of ash, or by an overfeed of fresh fuel, acts to. restore the fuel bed to its most eilicient workingponditions.

he mechanism by means of which the above and other objects are attained is full set forth in the following description, re erence being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a gas pro- `ducer having my invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of the apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of Vthe latching mechanism for stopping the rotation o f the sera er.

Flg. 4 is a fragmentary viewsimilar to Fig. 1, shwing the parts in a different po sition, and

Figs. 5 and 6 are detached views of the mechanism employed for automatically releasing the ash' scraper.

Similar reference characters refer to similar partsin the different figures.

In carrying out my invention I pro ose to transmit the variations in the level o the fuel bed to the mechanism for starting and stopping the action of the ash plow by the use of a device whichis at all times Accordingly, I have shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4, a gas producer comprising a main or fuel section 1 inelosing a gas producing chamber, said fuel section being rotatable by any suitable mechanism. The fuel siection is connected to and spaced above a; rotatable ash support 4, consisting, in the present instance, of a shallow pan into which the ashes are delivered from the fuel section of the producer through the open bottom of the saine. The ash support is mounted upon rollers 5, 5 and is rotated by arotating pinion 6 engaging an annular rack 7 upon the ash support. It is to be understood, however, that my invention is not 4to be limited to the specific means herein illustrated for rotating the fuel section and the ash'support; since it is possible to rotate said elements in unison from separate actuating' devices, as' will be clearly understood. Above-'the rotating fuel section 1, and supported by the standards 8', I provide a stationary cover section 8, upon which the Vmechanism hereinafter described finds support, said cover section aliording an outlet for the asesfrom the gas producing chamber in t e usual manner.

In accordance with the invention of the said Jefferies, there is journaled concentri-` cally within the rotating ash support 4 an ash plow or scraper 9, resting upon the bottom of said ash support `and' consisting, in

the present instance, of a helical shaped armL having its ou'ter'or free end 10 arranged to be engagedby a latch 11 pivoted at 1 2 upon thelower end of an arm 13 extending downwardly from one of the standards 8 toward the ash support. By reason of its frictional engagement with the bottom of the ash suport, the .scraper 9, when not engaged by the etch 1l, rotates with said ash support. The upper end of the latch 11 is connected by a link 14 with a short arm 15 carried upon the inner end of a rocking shaft 16.. At.

teched to the outer en d of the rocking shaft 16 is a. lever 17 supporting upon'its free end an adjustable counterweight. 18. The lever 17 is connected by` a link 19 with one endV of a lever 20 turning loosely upon a shaft A2 1 supported in brackets 22 upon -the cover section 8 of the gas reducer.

Journaled upon the sha t 21 is a. lever 23 cari-yin upon oneend an adjustable counterweig t 2 4, which is normally supported upon e stop or rest 25,by which the lever 23 is maintained in a horizontal position.' 'The opposite end of the lever 23 is ivotall connected by ulink 25 with i radia varm 2 attached to on'e end ol' rocking shaft 28. The opposite end' of the rocking shaft 28 carries a radial arm 29 in the free end of which isa cam roll 30. Attached to the outer Wall of the ash support 4 is a cam 31, said cam roll 3Q being arranged in the path of the cam 3l as the latter is carried around by .rocking the shaft 28..

the rotatable ash support 4. Extending upwardly from the rocking lever 23 is a short arm 32, upon the end of. which is pivotally supported a paw] 33 havingupon one end a small counterweight 34 and provided with an arm 35 which carries thereon an adjust: able counterweight 36. The lever` 20 is provided with a notch 37 adapted to receive the end 38 of the pawl 33, as 'shown in Fig. 6, upon the operation of the mechanism in the manner hereinafter described.

lVith the lever 1T in the position shown in Fig. 5, the latch 1-1 is disposed so as to bring its lower end 39 into the path of the scraper 9, and it will be understood that if said latch be so held, the advancing end 10 of the scraper will be engaged thereby, causing saidscraper to be held from rotation. The continued rotation of the ash support with the scraper thus held from rotation carries the mass of ashes against'the helical side of the scraper, causing such ashes to be pushed outwardly and crowded overvthe flan ing side of the pan," The movement of the latch 11 into the position shown in Fig. 6 permits the rotation of the scraper 9 with the ash support and consequently interrupts the discharge ol' ashes from said support. The several movements of latch 1l are controlled by the cam 31 in the following manner z-The cam 31 as it is carried around by the rotating ash support will' ride overthe cam roll 30, depressing the arm 29 and The rocking of thev shaft 28 through the radial arm 27 and linli 26 will rock the`1ever 23 on theshaft 2,1 from the position shown in F ig. 1' to that represented in Fig. 5, wherebythe'pawl'33 which, it will be assumed, has been caused.

p to occupy the position shown in'Fig. 4, will beyond the notch 37 of the latter, as shown in said Fig.` 5. When the cam 31 passes the cam roll 30, the counteweight 24 will reverse the motion or the lever 23, restoring it to the position shown in Fig. l, allowing the end 38 of the pawl 33 to engage the notch- 37 in the lever 20. In' this position of the pawl 33, the next passage of the cam V31 over the cam roll 30 will again rock theshaft 28,

depressing the arm2iY and a ein rocking the lever 23 through the link 26 into the position shown in Fig. 6. At this rocking movement ol' the lever 23, however, the enga ement of the pa-Wl 33 with the lever 20 wil lift the lever 17 through the link 19, thereby rocking the shaft 16 and` through th(` radial arm 15 and link 14, rocking the latch 1 1 i'ntofthe position shown in Fi 6,

The lifting of the latch 11 into this position permits the passage thereunder of the scraper, provided said scraper is in radial nlinement with the cam and arrives adjacent the latch when the latter is in. raised posithe latch 11 being raised at each revolution to permit the passage of the scraper thereunder.

By the above described invention of Jef* feries, further removal of ashes is made dependent upon a subsequent rocking of the pawl 33 toward the left, from the position shown in- Fig. 6 to that shown in Fig. 4.

' vIt follows that when the cam 31 thereafter scraper.

comes in contact with the.rller 30, the lever 23 is moved downwardly, without carrying with it the lever 20, thereby leaving the latch 11 inrposition to arrest the rotation of the During-the revolution of the ash support 4 immediately following7 ashes are therefore discharged, unless there arises a force tending to move the scraper, sufiieient to raise the counterweight 18, the latter being made heavy enough'to hold the scraper firmly to its work. Should such a force arise, due to theI jamming of a mass of clinker between the scraper and the wall of the ash support, or to any other cause, the latch 11 is forced upwardly against the force exerted by the counterweight 18 und the scraper continues to rotate until the force is removed. But unless such abnormal force arises, the scraper will be held stationary, as before stated, during a single revolution of the ash su port. When the cam again cornes under the roller 30, the pawl 33 has assumed the osition shown in IFig. 6, and the release o!) the scraper is effected. The interruption to the discharge of ashes continues until the pawl is again moved to the left, from the position shown in Fig. 6 to that shown in F ig. 4.

The present invention provides for the automatic movement of the pawl 33, from the inoperative positionshown in Fig. 1 to the operative osition shown.' in Fig. 4, whereby the a. ove described linterinittent discharge of ashes from the support 4 is made responsive tov the presence of an excessively high level" 'of fuel in the section 1. To this end there is provided within the gasproducing chamber a member 4l) rigidly attached to a rock shaft 41 supported in journals 42 carried by the stationary cover section S. Said member 40 projects downwardly through a suitable opening provided in the cover section, to permit of its free angular movement about the horizontal axis all'orded by the shaft 41, with the free end of said member resting upon the surface Thereof the fuel bed in the fuel section 1, and preferably in an approximately radial disposition with respect thereto. By rea-son of its pivotal support, it will be seen that the leveling action of said member iscontinuv ous with respect to the constantly rotating fuel beneath the same, irrespective of changes in tlie mean level of said bed, since said member, rising and falling with the iuctuations of said level, automatically ad# justs itself to all heights of the fuel'bed.

The shaft 41 carries a rigid upward prt A jecting arm 43, having on its free end an adjustable weight 44. A link 45, having a pin and slot connection 4G with an int-ermediate point of the arm 43, is pivotally connected at its other end to a swinging arm' 47, pivoted at 48, and carrying between its ends aI weight 49. Between said weight and its pivotal support 48, said swinging arm has pivot-ally secured thereto a link, 50, theV other end of which is pivotally attached to the dependingr arm 51 of a bell crank lever"- ivoted, for convenience, upon the' shaft 21.

he other arm 52 of said bell crank lever extends substantially horizontally and has pivoted to its end a link 53, which linkat its other end has an elongated slot 54 receiving a pin 55 carried by the weight 34 of the pawl 33.

The operation of the above described mechanism will be clear fromv a reference to Figs. 1 and 4. In Fig. 1 the level of tlie'll'l fuel in the section 1 indicated bythe'broken line 56, is substantially normal, te., within the horizontal zone coincident with a thickness of fuel bed best suited to the etlcient operation of the producer. f vibration of the evener 40 in response to -slight variations of this level within the aforesaid zone, is permitted by reason of the pin and slot connection 46 of the arm 43 with the link 45, the weight 44 on said arm serving to hold the free end vof member 40 in contact with the fuel, apd assisting in the leveling -action thereof. [{As the level of the fuel bed rises, due either` to an over The angular "i accumulation ofashes in` the support 4, or

to an excessive feeding of fresh fuel to the producer, or to both of the above mentioned causes, the member 40 responds by assuming positions nearer and nearer to the horimovement of the arm 47, through the link iii:

`zontal, the arm 43 approachinov` nearer and from and causing the desired lowering of the Surface of the fuel bed. At .the end of such revolution, the engagement'of the-'cam 31 with the roller 30 in the manner previously described, causes" thedfisposition of the pawl 33 in the ash discharge intrrupting relation of the partsyshown in Fig. 6. At the same time,.the lowering ofthe level of the fuel bed, due tomthe, discharge of ashes described above, e'iiables the member 40 and weighted arm 43 to restore the several co ting linksJ armsand levers to the posit' shown in Figc'x'l, from the position sh n in Fig. 4, such restoration being eflyfected through .gra vity, 1 by the preponderance of weight of said arm 43, weight 44 and member 40, over the arm 47, weight 49 and the linkage carried by said arm.

I claim. 1. In a gas producer, an ash support, and

i means operable with respect to saidash supproducer.

port for discharging ashes therefrom, the Vo eration of said means beinlresponsive to changes in the level of the el bed in the 2. In a gas producer, an ash .discharging mechanism adapted to be rendered' operative and inoperative, and means responsive to changes in the level of the fuel bed in the producer for causing the operation of said mechanism.. y

3. In a gasproducerf an ash support, an ash scraper operable with respect thereto to discharge ashes therefrom, means responsive to changes in the level of the fuel bed.

in the producer for effecting the operation of said scraper, and means for interrupting the 'operation of said scraper after a predetermined period of 'activity'.

4. In a gas producer, a rotating ash support, a scraper capable of rotation with said support, means responsive tc changes in the level of the fuel bed in said producer for checking the rotation of said scraper, and means actuated by the rotation of said ash support for releasing said scraper from said into a predetermined position, whereby to checking means. y

5. In a gas producer, a rotating ash support, a scraper capable of rotation with said said scraper t prevent its rotation with said support, and automatic means for withdrawing said stop from the path of said scraper.

`6. In a gas producer, a rotatin ash sup- Y port, a scraper resting on the y ttom of said ash' support, means responsive to changes in the level of the fuel bedgof the gas producer for holding said scraper stationary durin the rotation o support, and means actuated by the rotation of said support for rendering said holding means inoperative.

7. In a gas producer, a rotating ash sup.

port, a scraper capable of rotation with said ash support, a latch adapted' to beinterposed in the path of said scraper means for withdrawing said latch from said path when the scraper is carried intojuxtaposif I tion thereto, and means responsive" d to changes in the level of the fuel bedv in `the producerV for rendering said withdrawing means inoperative. f 8. In a gas producer, an ash support, a scraper adapted to coact with said su port. to effect theidischargel of ashes there rom, means operable by a rise in the level of the fuel bed in said producer for automatically inaugurating the action of said scrapeig'and automatic means for interrupting the action of said scraper. i.

9. In a as producer, a rotating ashsupport, an ai scraper therein, means responsive to changes in the level of the 'fuel'bed in the producer for holdingl said scraper stationary with res ect to said support, and automatic means or releasing said scraper.

10. In a gas producer, an ash discharging mechanism, a gravit-v actuated device for in` a predetermined period -in sai auguratingthe action of said mechanism,

and means responsive to changes in the level of the fuel bed in the producer for rendering said device opera-tive.

11. In a gas producer, aii'ash discharging jnechanism, ravity actuated devices for in- Siugurating tlie action of said mechanism, and gravity actuated means for restoring said devices to normal position after the .operation of Said ash discharging mechanism.

12. In a gas producer, an ash discharging mechanism, means actuated by a rise in the level of the fuel bed in the producer beyond a predetermined height for inaugurating the action of said mechanism, and means for interrupting the action of said mechanism after a predetermined period of activity.

13. In a gas producer, an ash discharging mechanism,- ii member adapted to be moved inaugurata thc-'action of said mechanism, means actuated by a rise in the level of the fuel bed beyond a predetermined height for moving said member into said .predetermined position, and means for automatically restoring said member to normal position after a predetermined period of activity of said discharging mechanism.

14. In a gas producer, an ash discharging mechanism, a fuel leveling member adapted to change its position in response to changes in the level of the fuel bed in the producer, and means operatively connectlng said mechanism and said member, whereby the action of said mechanism is controlled by the 1; position of said member.

Dated this first day of February, 1915.

JEROME R. GEORGE. lVitnesses:

VILLARD'A. WINN, PAULINE HAAS. 

